Kirklees leisure centres temporarily close to save money

Two Kirklees leisure centres are to temporarily close and a third has suspended swimming amid soaring energy costs.

Batley Baths and Recreation Centre and Deighton Sports Arena in Huddersfield shut on Friday along with the pool at Colne Valley Leisure Centre.

Campaigners said they planned legal action over the move.

Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL), the sites' operator, said: "We appreciate this decision will be disappointing."

Hikes in energy prices had put significant strain on the organisation, with the heating of swimming pools highlighted as a key issue, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The temporary closures were expected to be reviewed at the end of March 2023.

Campaigners protested outside Deighton Sports Arena on Thursday and accused KAL of having "no thought for this community".

The Save Deighton Sports Centre group said it had contacted legal firm Leigh Day, which was assessing its claim that proper procedures were not followed by the operator.

Campaigners said they were also considering pursuing a judicial review, backed by the public sector union Unison.

Louise Lewis, a regular user of the sports centre, said the closures would have a "massive impact" on communities they served and would leave sports teams with nowhere to play.

The mother-of-two added: "Mental health took its toll on people during Covid and sport is a way for people to alleviate some of these stresses.

"We've got a lot of crime in the area among our children and they need a home, they need somewhere to come and keep them off the streets and give them an alternate pathway.

"We are not waiting until March to have this re-open."

Sophie Simpson, a local community worker from Conscious Youth CIC, said: "There is no thought for this community. There aren't any spaces here at all where young people can actually go.

"We've got all the basketball clubs, football clubs, netball clubs. Where do these young people go now? What's going to happen to them?"

Members of local sports teams were also among those at the demonstration.

Eugene Andrew, who played for Deighton Basketball Club and coached the junior team, described the closure as an "absolute disgrace."

He added: "I found out from a parent that they were deciding to close the centre - the centre that has helped over hundreds and hundreds of kids over the time that I've been here.

"I've got a group inside right now training, running around, and they don't know where they're going to play next year."

KAL said its nine other sites would operate as normal.

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